Bengaluru car users spend 1-1.5 hours in each direction; 95% keen to shift to Metro: Survey report

#Personal2Public campaign aims to inspire commuters to use public transport at least twice a week.

Bengaluru car users spend about 1-1.5 hours in one direction compared to 35-40 minutes for two-wheeler riders, according to a survey report released on September 4.

The survey was conducted among 3,855 respondents in Bengaluru as part of the Personal2Public campaign launched by the NGOs, including the Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) and WRI India. The campaign aims to encourage Bengaluru citizens to shift from personal vehicles to public transport at least twice a week.

The report has found that Bengaluru Metro users spend less than 45 minutes on their main mode of transportation but when combined with the first and last mile, the average travel time is about 1-1.5 hours. It is also revealed that office goers tend to spend more time when travelling by company transport.

Also read: Bengaluru NGOs launch #Personal2Public campaign to promote public transport usage at least twice a week

On the commute distance, the average trip length was observed to be 10 km across all modes. However, while the average trip length of car users is 10 km, the time spent to cover this distance is more than 1.5 hours. Interestingly, the metro, which has the highest average trip length (13 km), takes commuters less time to reach their destination.

How Bengaluru citizens commute

95% survey respondents keen to shift to Metro

The survey has found that 95 percent of the 3,855 respondents in Bengaluru who currently use private vehicles to reach their offices expressed their willingness to shift to the Metro. Overall, 58 percent of the respondents currently use either a car or two-wheeler, while public transport (BMTC bus and metro) users stand at 17 percent, the report said. Most public transport users are traveling towards tech corridors like Outer Ring Road (ORR)/Whitefield, and the majority of them are daily commuters.

Also read: Startup hub Bengaluru: What makes it the world's second slowest city

The report highlighted that car users prioritise saving travel time over the cost of travel, while two-wheeler users are more cost-sensitive. Most personal vehicle users in the city believe that the time and cost of travelling on their private mode and public transport are the same, it said.

The report also emphasised the need for better feeder services, especially for areas like Whitefield and ORR, which have a high number of employees. It suggested high-frequency, time-bound feeder buses connecting KR Puram and tech parks on ORR, with flat fares or employer-sponsored fare systems.

Also read: Why Bengaluru's tech corridor, Outer Ring Road, needs an urgent fix

The travel patterns of women in Bengaluru are distributed across various modes, with nearly 50 percent of women depending on various shared mobility options, including regular public transport. The report noted that women face challenges related to reliable first and last-mile services and the need for seamless connectivity and a common ticketing service.

Revathy Ashok, managing trustee & CEO of B.PAC, an NGO said, "Bengaluru commuter survey findings have yet again clearly established that citizens of Bengaluru are willing to shift away from private vehicles and travel in public transport to their workplaces provided there is seamless, predictable and comfortable access to first and last mile connectivity."

Srinivas Alavilli, fellow at WRI India, an NGO emphasised that public transport is the long-term solution to Bengaluru's traffic problems. "Personal2Public is a citizen’s movement with active participation from corporates, auto unions and citizen groups. We are working together to improve first and last-mile access by collaborating with government agencies. As ORR has a maximum number of daily commuters, running faster feeder buses from purple line metro stations to tech parks on ORR will make a big difference” he adds.

Meanwhile, Bengaluru Autorickshaw Drivers Union is planning to launch 'MetroMitra' on September 6 at Jayanagar Metro station to improve last mile connectivity from Metro stations.

Also read: After Namma Yatri app, Bengaluru auto drivers to launch MetroMitra on ONDC platform